Press Releases
Rounds: Defense Appropriations Bill Brings Much-Needed Stability to Defense Department and Improves Military Readiness
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today spoke on the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to support the defense appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2018. During last month's continuing resolution negotiations, Rounds pushed to schedule a vote on the defense appropriations bill and received assurances from leadership that it would be brought to the floor in a timely manner. "Providing long-term funding stability for our armed forces is v… Continue Reading
02.06.18
Rounds Introduces Bill Incentivizing Community Banks to Provide Credit to Small Businesses and Farms
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, today introduced the Access Business Credit Act of 2018. This legislation would incentivize community banks to provide loans to small businesses and farmers by excluding from a lender's income interest earned on small business loans and loans secured by farm land. "South Dakota's community banks provide the capital … Continue Reading
01.30.18
Rounds Statement on President Trump’s State of the Union Address
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) issued the following statement on President Trump's State of the Union Address: "Tonight, President Trump laid out a long-term vision for our country," said Rounds. "Last year during his address to Congress, the president discussed his ideas for what we want our country to look like in the year 2026, America's 250th birthday. I, too, have shared my vision for our country in 2026, and I am pleased tonight's speech continued to build on a long-term visio… Continue Reading
01.30.18
Rounds Joins 35 Senators in Letter to President Outlining Benefits of NAFTA
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), along with 35 of his colleagues, today sent a letter to President Trump highlighting the benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to the United States and outlining how President Trump can improve the agreement. "NAFTA supports 14 million jobs, representing thousands of jobs in each of the 50 states," the senators wrote. "Despite all of its benefits, however, we can do better and there are opportunities to improve the agreement.… Continue Reading
01.29.18
Rounds Statement on Senate Vote on Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), an original cosponsor of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, today made the following statement after it failed to receive enough votes to advance in the Senate: "We have an obligation to defend the dignity of all life, from conception to natural death," said Rounds. "Unborn children feel pain at the 20 week mark of pregnancy, and are even able to begin to hear at that point in the second trimester. The United States is one of only seven c… Continue Reading
01.26.18
Rounds Nominates Sioux Falls Student Ryan Berry to U.S. Military Academy at West Point
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced that he has nominated Sioux Falls student Ryan Berry to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Berry is the son of Thomas and Laurie Berry of Sioux Falls and attends Holy Family High School in Broomfield, CO. He is one of 23 students Rounds has nominated to the service academies for the 2018 school year. "It's an honor to nominate Ryan to the U.S. Military Academy," said Rounds. "Ryan worked hard to maintain high academic standards and… Continue Reading
01.24.18
Rounds Introduces Bill to Enhance Recreation on Federal Land
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management and Regulatory Oversight, today introduced the Guides and Outfitters Act (GO Act) in the Senate. The GO Act streamlines the recreation permitting process and allows for increased public access and recreation opportunities on federal lands. "In South Dakota, outdoor recreation is part of who we are," said Rounds. "Whether camping in the Black Hills, … Continue Reading
01.20.18
Rounds Statement on Government Shutdown
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) made the following statement on the government shutdown: "For the 19th time in the 44 years since the modern budget process has been in place, the federal government has once again shut down because Congress could not get its work done on time. South Dakotans sent me to Washington to make informed policy decisions and be a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars. Continuing resolutions, which are just extensions of last year's budget levels, fail t… Continue Reading
01.19.18
Rounds Statement on CR Vote
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today made the following statement on his decision to vote for the current Continuing Resolution (CR): "Since coming to the Senate, I've expressed my frustration with our broken budget system, which hasn't worked in 40 of the last 44 years that the current budget process has been in place. Continuing Resolutions are ineffective and destabilize government programs. I am particularly concerned about the … Continue Reading
01.18.18
Rounds Statement on Meeting With DHS Secretary
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today met with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to discuss ongoing border security and immigration reform efforts. "Secretary Nielsen and I had a great discussion about our shared goals of increasing border security, permanently fixing DACA, strengthening e-verify and - most importantly for South Dakota - increasing the cap on the number of H2B visas allotted annually so our seasonal construction and tourism industries… Continue Reading
01.18.18
After Decades of Waiting, World War II Veteran to Receive Purple Heart
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs and Senate Armed Services Committees, today announced that Sylvan Vigness of Flandreau, S.D., will receive the Purple Heart Medal for his service in World War II. Vigness and his family have been seeking to obtain the Purple Heart for two decades, but were denied every time. "It is an honor to help Mr. Vigness obtain his Purple Heart Medal, especially knowing how many years he and his family spent seeking to ob… Continue Reading
01.18.18
ICYMI: Rounds: Continuing Resolutions Hurt Military Readiness, Lead to Uncertainty
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today joined his colleague Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) on CNN to discuss their concerns with short-term continuing resolutions (CR) to fund the government. This week, Congress is considering another CR, the fourth in four months. "It has been 44 years since we actually had a budget act that was workable, "said Rounds in the interview. "In the last 44 years, only three cases have we actually gotten this budget and appropriations process done on time. T… Continue Reading
01.16.18
Reminder: Last Week for South Dakota Truckers, Stakeholders to Offer Comments on ELD Rules
WASHINGTON-South Dakota truckers and other citizens who may be negatively affected by Electronic Logging Device (ELD) rules have until Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, to voice their concerns via public comment period. Late last year, the Department of Transportation (DoT) announced a 90-day delay of its ELD rules for live load truckers, which were originally scheduled to take effect Dec. 18, 2017. DoT is accepting public comments regarding agricultural commodities HERE through Friday, Jan. 19, 2018. … Continue Reading
01.12.18
Rounds Statement on Section 199A of Tax Code
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today made the following statement regarding ongoing efforts to address concerns related to Section 199A of the tax code: "The inclusion of Section 199A in the tax law was always to maintain the status quo for the agricultural sector. It has come to our attention that some producers are concerned that the law, as written in the new tax code, gives an unfair advantage to cooperatives over independent operators. This was never the intent and I am pleased … Continue Reading
01.11.18
Delegation Introduces Bill to Transfer Federal Land to Custer County, South Dakota
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) today introduced Senate and House companion versions of the Custer County Airport Conveyance Act, legislation that would transfer approximately 66 acres of Black Hills National Forest System land to Custer County, South Dakota. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has agreed to sell this land to the Custer County Airport, giving it full ownership of all acres that the airport occupies. A portion of … Continue Reading
01.11.18
Rounds Statement on VA Rule Change to Begin Reimbursing Veterans for Emergency Care
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, today made a statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it has revised its regulations related to payment or reimbursement to veterans who have had to seek emergency care at a non-VA facility. "After seven years of an improper rule being on the books and thousands of veterans being denied reimbursement by the VA, this announcement is a significant step in the right direction,… Continue Reading
01.04.18
Rounds Accepting Summer 2018 Internship Applications
PIERRE- U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced that he is currently accepting internship applications for summer 2018. The deadline to apply for internships in his Washington, D.C., Pierre, Rapid City and Sioux Falls offices is Feb. 15, 2018. College credit is available. Duties in the Washington, D.C., office may include tracking legislation, researching bills, attending committee hearings and briefings, leading tours of the U.S. Capitol, handling constituent phone calls, sorting ma… Continue Reading
12.22.17
Bill to Double Size of Black Hills Veterans Cemetery Passes Senate
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) issued the following statements after the Senate passed their bill, the Black Hills National Cemetery Boundary Expansion Act (S. 35), legislation that would facilitate a permanent land transfer of approximately 200 acres of Bureau of Land Management land to expand the Black Hills National Cemetery outside of Sturgis, South Dakota. A companion version, which was introduced by U.S. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.), passed… Continue Reading
12.21.17
Rounds Statement on CFPB Decision to Delay HMDA Enforcement
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today issued the following statement on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) announcement to delay enforcement of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act: "As the Senate sponsor of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Adjustment Act, I am keenly aware of the burden that HMDA data reporting requirements pose for small banks and credit unions in South Dakota. Today's decision to delay penalties for the collection o… Continue Reading
12.20.17
Rounds Statement on Passage of Tax Reform Conference Report
WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today made the following statement after the Senate voted to pass the tax reform conference committee report: "Our tax relief bill will create a healthy, more vibrant economy that we can pass onto our kids and grandkids," said Rounds. "This legislation puts American businesses back on a level playing field with the rest of the world so we can once again be globally competitive. Businesses will be incentivized to remain here in the United States, which w… Continue Reading
